Fluid-pressure combination-lock.



W. J. HOFSTATTBR.

FLUID PRESSURE COMBINATION LOOK.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1909.

938,487. Patented Nov. 2, 19090 8 M] "U E51 2 "U llll||l2e E i= 2. 4f"tft F 1 I 1 .v 2 Mfnesses- UNITED s'rarns rams rarer.

WILLIAM J. HOFSTATTER, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

FLUID-PRESSURE COMBINATION-LOOK.

Application filed. June 19, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM J. HOFSTAT TER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fluid-PressureOombination- Locks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a fluid-pressure combination lock.

In Patent No. 7 87 ,57 5 dated April 18, 1905, I have shown anddescribed a lock adapted to be unlocked by a predetermined combinationof fluid pressures.

My present invention has for its object to provide a simplified lock ofthe kind that is adapted to automatically look a closure for an openingin position closing the opening, and which requires for its unlockingthe application of a definite and predetermined sequence of fluidpressures of different units of pressure.

A further object is to provide a lock of the kind that is adapted toautomatically look a closure for an opening when the closure is inposition closing the opening, and that is adjustable to be only openedby a predetermined fluctuation of fluid pressure applied thereto.

I accomplish these objects by the construction and combination of parts,as hereinafter described and illustrated in the drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a side elevation of a lock constructed in accordance with myinvention, with the closure plate of the casing removed, and with thelatch socket and the portion of the lock bolt within the socket shown inlongitudinal section, and engaging the latch in locked position. Fig. 2is a broken away portion of a longitudinal section of the same, showingthe bolt in unlocked position, and also showing the piston in raisedposition. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the same at a right angleto the closure plate of the casing, showing the parts in lockedposition, and Fig. 4 is a broken away longitudinal section of the lockbolt.

In the drawings 1 designates an elongated, rectangular casing, having athreaded orifice at one end into which is threaded one end of a pressurecylinder 2, and at the opposite end is provided with a threaded orificeinto which is threaded a reduced and threaded end portion of acylindrical extension 3 of the casing, forming a latch socket casing.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Ratented Nov. 2, 1909.

Serial No. 503,097.

The pressure cylinder 2 is bored for the most of its length to receive apiston 4; and for the remainder of its length to form an annular seatfor a helical spring 5, and leave an integral end portion 6 having anaxial guide portion 7 extending a suitable distance into the cylinder.The guide portion 7 is provided with a longitudinal opening throughwhich the stem 8 of the piston extends into the casing 1. The portion 9of the stem within the casing is formed as a rack. The free end portionof the cylinder 2 is threaded, and is provided with a closure cap 10.The cap 10 is provided with a central threaded orifice, into which isthreaded the end nozzle 11 of a supply pipe (not shown) that isconnected to a main source of compressed air, which for the pu'rpose ofa description of the operation of my lock is assumed to be the main lineof a train air brake system, and it will be further understood that thesupply pipe is provided with any suitable form of stop and waste valve,whereby, when the valve is opened, air is admitted from the train linethrough the supply pipe to the cylinder 2, and when closed the air inthe cylinder escapes through a reduced outlet to the atmosphere. It isalso assumed that my improved lock is secured to a side post of adoorway of a freight car, in

position to receive a lock latch 13, projecting tumbler disks a, b, anda, separated by the washers 15, and prevented from lateral movement onthe arbor by the collars 16 mounted on the arbor. The tumbler disk a isprovided with a pinion 17, which is secured as a hub projecting axiallyfrom one side of the tumbler, and in position, on the arborinter-meshing with the rack 9 of the piston stem. Each tumbler isprovided with with a reduced eccentric extension 20 of the bore 19. Theouter end portion of the bore 19 is threaded to receive a closure plug21. The bore 20 does not extend entirely through the extension 3, an endportion 22 being left as a seat for a helical spring 23, inserted in thebore, and through the seat 22 axial to the bore 20 is formed a guideorifice 2 1, through which extends into the casing 1, one member 25 of alocking bolt 26.

The portion of the member 25 extending through the spring 23, the guideorifice 24k, and within the casing 1, is cylindrical, and within thecasing 1 there is telescopically mounted thereon the other member 27 ofthe locking bolt-s 26, the member 27 being provided with a longitudinalcentral bore to receive the member 25, which is provided near its innerend with an incut 28, forming square shoulders adapted to operate asstops to limit the distance of telescopic movement of the members 25 and27 in and on the other respectively, the member 27 being provided with astop pin 29 extending into the incut, which engages the shoulders formedon the member 25 by the incut.

The p'ortion of the member 25 within the bore 20 is provided with anannular flange 30 which moves as a piston in the bore and engages thespring 23, and beyond the disk flange 30 the member 25 has a squared endportion 31, which projects normally a short distance into the bore 19,in which is inserted a cylindrical plug 32 having an eccentriccylindrical extension 33, of reduced diameter, adapting it to enter thebore 20. The extension 33 is provided with a squared guide opening 34:into and through which extends the squared end portion 31 of the lockingbolt. The guide opening 3 1 intersects a latch socket 35 formed in theplug and which registers with an opening 36 in the extension 3, when theplug is in position in the extension 3 with the extension 33 of the plugin the bore 20, and it is manifest that when the plug is in suchposition with the closure plug 21 run in thereon that the plug 32 issecured against turning or displacement. The latch socket 35, at the topis provided with a downward and inward incline 37 which is adapted todirect the latch 13 downward against the tendency'of the lock bolt toraise it as the latch engages the bolt. The latch 13 at its free endportion is provided with an incline 37, and a triangular incut 38adjacent to the incline, adapted to receive the beveled end 39 of thesquared end portion 31 of the lock bolt. As the incline 37 of the latchengages the bevel 39 of the lock bolt, the bolt is moved downwarddepressing the spring 23, until the incut 38 is directly above the bolt,when the spring raises the end of the bolt into the incut, and locks thelatch in the socket.

The member 27 of the lock bolt 26 is movable through a guide 39 securedto a side enter the incuts 18 when they are brought 2 into alinement bythe movement of the tumblers.

When the lock bolt 26 is in its normal position as established by thespring 23, which yieldingly holds the flange 30 of the bolt up againstthe extension 33 of the plug 32, the lower shoulder of the incut 28, ofthe member 25, engages the stop pin 29 of the member 27, and holds themember 27 raised slightly above the rims of the tumblers, as shown inFigs. 1 and 3. Then the tumbler incuts 18 are alined, the member 27 maybe moved down into the incut-s, as shown in Fig. 2, and in so moving itthe latch 13 is unlocked. To so move the mem-' ber 27 to unlock the bolt26, there is provided an arbor 40 mounted in a bearing 41 in the casingl, and upon the arbor are fixedly mounted within the casing, the rockarms 42, which engage pins d3 extending oppositely from the sides of themember 27 of the lock bolt. The outer end of one of the arms 42 isconnected by a wire or cable 42 to a bell crank 12', one arm of which ison the outside of the car at any suitable and convenient position tothrow the bolt.

Above and in line with the rack 9 of the piston stem, there is provideda lug 4 1 having a stop screw 4L5, by which an adjustable limit isprovided to the distance of movement of the piston 4 in the pressurecylinder 2. There is also preferably interposed between the seat 6 andthe spring 5 of the cylinder 2 an annular plate 46, and in the seat theadjusting screws 4:7, engaging the plate, by which the resistance of thespring to the piston may be adjusted.

The casing l is provided with screw holes %8, by which it may beattached to the door frame in position to receive the latch of a door tobe locked.

The tumblers a, b, and c are each pro vided with a series of holes 49 toreceive the contact pins 50 of the tumblers. In the inner face oftumbler a is fixed one pin 50, and in the adjacent face of the tumblerZ) two pins 50, one of which is adapted to be engaged by the pin oftumbler a when the tumbler c is revolved in one direction, and the otherto be engaged thereby when the tumbler a is revolved in the oppositedirection, and the adjacent faces of the tumblers Z) and c are likewiseequipped with pins 50.

The rack 9 and the pinion 17 have the same number of teeth, and themaximum stroke of the piston 4: produces one revolution of tumbler a,and pins 50 of the tummade, the tumbler 0 will have been revolved tobring its incut 18 in position to receive the lock bolt 26. Thusconstructed and adjusted the other contact pin of the tumbler b is thenadjusted to turn back the tumbler b and bring its incut 18 in line withthe incut of tumbler 0, when the piston 1 reaches a certain point(arbitrarily selected) in its return stroke, and in such relation to theincut of tumbler a, that when the piston is raised from such point toanother selected point above, but less than the maximum stroke of thepiston, the incut 18 of tumbler a will also be in line with the incutsof tumblers Z) and c.

The pressure required to move the piston l to engagement of the rack ofits stem with the stop 45 being known, and the pressure at each of thepoints above referred to being ascertained, the maximum, minimum andintermediate pressures necessary to bring the piston successively intheir order to such points, constitutes the combination selected foropening the lock, and the combination is worked by admitting air to thecylinder when the source of pressure is at or above the maximum pressureof the combination, then reducing the pressure of the source to theminimum pressure of the combination, then raising the pressure of thesource to the intermediate or final pressure of the combination, atwhich point the incuts of the tumblers will be alined and the latch ofthe door may be unlocked by moving the arms 42 of the arbor by the lever43 to throw the lock bolt 26 into engagement with the tumblers in theincuts 18. W hen the door has been opened, upon the release of the lever43, the spring 23 will raise the lock bolt to its normal position andwithdraw it from the incuts of the tumblers. The valve of the supplypipe being then closed, the air in the cylinder will pass out throughthe waste duct, and the spring 5 will return the piston to its normalposition, and in so returning, the tumblers will be operated to throwthe incuts 18 out of alinement. lVhen the door is again closed the latch13 will automatically depress the member 25 of the lock bolt 26 in themember 27, which is prevented by the tumblers from downward movement,such depression being permitted by the incut 28 in the member 25, andwhen the door is fully closed the lock notch of the latch will permitthe spring 23 to return the member 25 of the lock bolt to its normallocking position, in engagement with the notch of the latch.

It will thus be seen that when my lock is applied to a car, andconnected to the main air brake line of a train in which the car isconnected, the door of the car may be readily unlocked by'the engineerafter the valve of the supply pipe is-opened, by first reducing thetrain line pressure to the minimum pres sure of the combination and thenraising it to the intermediate pressure selected for the combination,and leaving the source at that pressure until the door is unlocked andopened and the valve of the supply pipe is closed, and that where anumber of the cars composing a train are equipped with my locks, eachoperating by a different combination of pressures, any one of the carsmay be unlocked without unlocking the others.

My lock is especially adapted for use on freight cars to prevent openingand robbing of cars en route to their destination. It is also adaptedfor use in warehouses, freight houses, factories, jails and the like,for unlocking from one position, distant doors all simultaneously, wherethe locks have the same combination, or separately where each lock has adistinct combination.

By providing the nozzle 11 of the supply pipe with a reduced inlet 11(which is also the outlet) when the valve of the supply pipe is opened,the pressure in the cylinder 2 is gradually raised, and sudden impulseto the piston and through the piston to the tumblers is avoided, and thelock is made sensitive to accurate operation of the tumblers by highpressures.

What I claim to be new is 1. In a fluid pressure combination lock, thecombination with a lock bolt, of an arbor, a series of disk tumblersindependently rotatable on the arbor in the path of the movement of thelock bolt, said tumblers each having an incut adapted when brought intoalinement with theincuts of the other tumblers to jointly receive andpermit the release of the lock bolt, and said tumblers being adaptedwhen the incuts are disalined to prevent movement and release of thebolt, means of inter-engagement between the tumblers, arranged andadapted by predetermined forward and backward partial revolutions of oneof the tumblers, to bring the incuts of all of the tumblers intoalinement to receive the bolt, and means to actuate the actuatingtumbler forward and backward,"

said means being adapted to be actuated by fluctuating fluid pressure.

2. In a fluid pressure combination lock. the combination with a lockbolt, of an arbor, a series of disk tumblers independently rotatable onthe arbor in the path of the movement of the lock bolt, said tumblerseach having an incut adapted when brought into alinement with the incutsof the other tumblers to jointly receive and permit the release of thelock bolt, and said tumblers being adapted when the incuts are disalinedto prevent movement and release of the bolt, adjustable means ofinter-engagement between the tumblers, arranged and adapted bypredetermined forward and backward partial revolutions of one of thetumblers, to bring the incuts of all of the tumblers into alinement toreceive the bolt, and means to actuate the actuating tumbler forward andbackward, said means being adapted to be actuated by fluctuating fluidpressure.

3. In a fluid pressure combination look, a lock bolt, an arbor, a seriesof disk tumblers independently rotatable on the arbor in the path of thelock bolt, and each having an incut adapted when brought into alinementwith the incuts of the other tumblers to jointly receive and release thelock bolt, said tumblers being adapted when the incuts are out ofalinement to prevent the unlocking of the lock bolt, means ofinter-engagement between the tumblers arranged and adapted to bring theincuts of all the tumblers into lock bolt, an arbor, a series of disktumblers alinement by predetermined forward and backward partrevolutions of one of the tumblers, and means comprising a cylinderadapted to be connected to a source of fluid under controllablepressure, a piston in the cylinder, adapted to be actuated in onedirection by the pressure of the fluid, a spring in the cylinder adaptedto produce graduated resistances to the piston, means connecting thepiston and the actuating tumbler, adapted to produce forward andbackward revolution of the actuating tumbler, accord ing as the pressureof the fluid is raised and owered in the cylinder, substantially as setorth.

4:. In a combination fluid pressure lock, a lock bolt, an arbor, aseries of disk tumblers independently rotatable on the arbor in the pathof the lock bolt, and each having an incut adapted when brought intoalinement with the incuts of the other tumblers to jointly receive andrelease the lock bolt, said tumblers being adapted when the incuts areout of alinement to prevent the unlocking of the lock bolt, adjustablemeans of inter-engagement between the tumblers arranged and adapted tobring the incuts of all the tumblers into alinement by predeterminedforward and backward part revolutions of one of the tumblers, and meanscomprising a cylinder adapted to be connected to a source of fluid undercontrollable pressure, a piston in the cylinder, adapted to be actuatedin one direction by the pressure of the fluid, a spring in the cylinderadapted to produce graduated resistances to the piston,

means connecting the piston and the actuating tumbler, adapted toproduce forward and backward revolution of the actuating tumbler,according as the pressure of the fluid is raised and lowered in thecylinder, substantially as set forth.

5. In a fluid pressure combination lock, the combination of a lock boltcomprising telescopic members, one of the members movable inward of theother to permit the unlocking of the bolt, a spring adapted toyieldingly hold the bolt in normally locked position, means to withdrawthe bolt from locked position by the movement of the other member,independently rotatable tumblers adapted to prevent the unlocking of thebolt, said tumblers having incuts normally disalined, and adapted whenin alinement to permit the unlocking of the bolt, and means to operatethe tumblers to bring the incuts into alinement, and adapted to beactuated thereto by alternating higher and lower fluid pressures.

6. In a fluid pressure combination look, a

independently rotatable on the arbor in the path of the lock bolt, andeach having an incut adapted when'brought into alinement with the incutsof the other tumblers to jointly receive and release the lock bolt, saidtumblers being adapted when the incuts are out of alinement to preventthe unlocking of the lock bolt, means of inter-engagement 1 between thetumblers arranged and adapted to bring the incuts of all the tumblersinto alinement by predetermined forward and I backward part revolutionsof one of the tumblers, and means comprising a cylinder adapted to beconnected to a source of fluld under controllable pressure, a plston 1nthe cylinder, adapted to be actuated in one direction by the pressure ofthe fluid, a spring in the cylinder adapted to produce graduatedresistances to the piston, a pinion mounted on the arbor and secured tothe actuating tumbler, and a stem for the piston having a portion formedas a rack and engaging the pinion, substantially as set forth.

7. In combination in a fluid pressure combination look, a lock bolt, aseries of tumblers controlling theunlocking of the bolt, a cylinder, apiston in the cylinder, a spring in the cylinder resisting the piston,means operatively connecting the piston with the tumblers, and aconnection from the cylinder adapted to connect it with a source offluid under controllable pressure, and having a restricted opening intothe cylinder adapted to slowly admit fluid under pressure to thecylinder, and retard its escape therefrom, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses, this 16th day of June, 1909.

WILLIAM J. HOFSTATTER.

In presence of- MARK NINoHEsTEn, M. S. SMITH.

